A 64 × 64-pixel ultra-low power vision sensor is presented, performing pixel-level dynamic background subtraction as the low-level processing layer of an algorithm for scene interpretation. The pixel ...embeds two digitally-programmable Switched-Capacitors Low-Pass Filters (SC-LPF) and two clocked comparators, aimed at detecting any anomalous behavior of the current photo-generated signal with respect to its past history. The 45 T, 26 μm square pixel has a fill-factor of 12%. The vision sensor has been fabricated in a 0.35 μm 2P3M CMOS process, powered with 3.3 V, and consumes 33 μ W at 13 fps, which corresponds to 620 pW/frame.pixel.
This paper presents an energy-aware CMOS vision sensor, targeted to surveillance and monitoring applications. The 64 × 64 pixels sensor directly estimates and binarizes the spatio-temporal contrast ...with a power consumption of 30 μW, at 30 fps and 3.3 V supply voltage. The sensor embeds event detection and energy management capabilities, which meet the requirements of an energy autonomous system. Data compression and fast readout delivering turn into a chip low power performance and duty-cycle optimization of the external processor, devoted to visual processing and communication. A preliminary prototype of vision system has been developed, estimating motion and looking for events occurring in the scene. It consists of the vision sensor interfaced with a small-density CPLD and a tiny micro-controller for data readout and communication. Here, the vision system performs ultra-low power consumption of about 1 mW. The presented system exhibits an operating life of more than four months, powered with 950 mA·h battery and a duty-cycle of 5%.
In this work, we describe preliminary results re lated to an ultra-low power vision sensor, embedding contrast extraction and output data compression. The sensor performs less than 30 μW at 3.3 V and ...30 frame/s, combining data compression together with event detection capabilities and efficient sensor interface. This makes the presented sensor to be suitable for energy-autonomous applications, ranging from surveillance to people counting and monitoring. A prototype of vision system has been realized interfacing the chip with a low power CPLD, which manages the different sensor operating modes. The module drives a total average current of less than 500 μ A at 30 fps. Powered with a small 900 mAh lithium battery, the vision system will be able to work continuously for about 3 months.
The AMADEUS system described in this article is integrated into the ANTARES neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea and aims at the investigation of techniques for acoustic detection of neutrinos ...in the deep sea. Installed at water depths between 2000 and 2400m, its acoustic sensors employ piezo-electric elements for the broad-band recording of signals with frequencies ranging up to 125 kHz with typical sensitivities around −145 dB re. 1V/μPa (including preamplifier). Completed in May 2008, AMADEUS consists of six "acoustic clusters", each comprising six acoustic sensors that are arranged at distances of roughly 1m from each other. Three acoustic clusters each are installed along two vertical mechanical structures (so-called lines) of the ANTARES detector at a horizontal distance of 240m. Vertical spacings within a line range from 15m to 125m. Each cluster contains custom-designed electronics boards to amplify and digitise the acoustic data from the sensors. The data transmission to shore is done via optical fibres, using the TCP/IP protocol. An on-shore computer cluster, currently consisting of four dedicated servers, is used to process, filter and store the selected data. The daily volume of recorded data is about 10 - 20 GByte. The system is operating continuously and automatically, requiring only little human intervention. AMADEUS allows for extensive studies of both transient signals and ambient noise in the deep sea as well as signal correlations on several length scales and localisation of acoustic point sources. Thus the system is excellently suited to assess the background conditions that affect the measurement of bipolar pulses expected to originate from neutrino interactions. This in turn allows for feasibility studies of a future large-scale acoustic neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea.
Phys.Lett.B696:16-22,2011 A search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos, using data
collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. A $(0.83\times 2\pi)$
sr sky was monitored ...for a total of 334 days of equivalent live time. The
searched signal corresponds to an excess of events, produced by astrophysical
sources, over the expected atmospheric neutrino background. The observed number
of events is found compatible with the background expectation. Assuming an
$E^{-2}$ flux spectrum, a 90% c.l. upper limit on the diffuse $\nu_\mu$ flux of
$E^2\Phi_{90%} = 5.3 \times 10^{-8} \ \mathrm{GeV\ cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}\ sr^{-1}} $
in the energy range 20 TeV - 2.5 PeV is obtained. Other signal models with
different energy spectra are also tested and some rejected.
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) represent novel molecular targets for the treatment of various types of cancers, including multiple myeloma (MM). Many HDAC inhibitors have already shown remarkable ...antitumor activities in the preclinical setting; however, their clinical utility is limited because of unfavorable toxicities associated with their broad range HDAC inhibitory effects. Isoform-selective HDAC inhibition may allow for MM cytotoxicity without attendant side effects. In this study, we demonstrated that HDAC3 knockdown and a small-molecule HDAC3 inhibitor BG45 trigger significant MM cell growth inhibition via apoptosis, evidenced by caspase and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Importantly, HDAC3 inhibition downregulates phosphorylation (tyrosine 705 and serine 727) of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). Neither interleukin-6 nor bone marrow stromal cells overcome this inhibitory effect of HDAC3 inhibition on phospho-STAT3 and MM cell growth. Moreover, HDAC3 inhibition also triggers hyperacetylation of STAT3, suggesting crosstalk signaling between phosphorylation and acetylation of STAT3. Importantly, inhibition of HDAC3, but not HDAC1 or 2, significantly enhances bortezomib-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, we confirm that BG45 alone and in combination with bortezomib trigger significant tumor growth inhibition in vivo in a murine xenograft model of human MM. Our results indicate that HDAC3 represents a promising therapeutic target, and validate a prototype novel HDAC3 inhibitor BG45 in MM.
A search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos, using data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. A \((0.83\times 2\pi)\) sr sky was monitored for a total of 334 days ...of equivalent live time. The searched signal corresponds to an excess of events, produced by astrophysical sources, over the expected atmospheric neutrino background. The observed number of events is found compatible with the background expectation. Assuming an \(E^{-2}\) flux spectrum, a 90% c.l. upper limit on the diffuse \(\nu_\mu\) flux of \(E^2\Phi_{90%} = 5.3 \times 10^{-8} \ \mathrm{GeV\ cm^{-2}\ s^{-1}\ sr^{-1}} \) in the energy range 20 TeV - 2.5 PeV is obtained. Other signal models with different energy spectra are also tested and some rejected.
A search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos, using data collected by the ANTARES neutrino
telescope is presented. A (0.83 × 2π) sr sky was monitored for a total of 334 days of ...equivalent live
time. The searched signal corresponds to an excess of events, produced by astrophysical sources, over the
expected atmospheric neutrino background. The observed number of events is found compatible with the
background expectation. Assuming an E−2 flux spectrum, a 90% c.l. upper limit on the diffuse νμ flux
of E2Φ90% = 5.3 × 10−8 GeVcm−2 s−1 sr−1 in the energy range 20 TeV–2.5 PeV is obtained. Other signal
models with different energy spectra are also tested and some rejected.
Peer Reviewed
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